The Tigers are lining up for a sale, as Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports that the team is telling rivals that they are “rebooting.” GM Dave Dombrowski confirms that he’s ready to listen on all of the team’s pending free agents, as Jason Beck of MLB.com tweets.
That means that Detroit is willing to sell David Price, Yoenis Cespedes, and other pieces. “We’re only going to make a trade if we think it makes sense for us,” said Dombrowski (via Beck, on Twitter). “But we think [the reboot] gives us a chance to restock our club.”
Needless to say, adding Detroit’s expiring veteran assets will have a significant trickle-down effect. Price will land atop the market for starters, possibly impacting the Phillies’ efforts to move Cole Hamels as well as the value of other arms. Clubs interested in corner outfielders can now look to Cespedes as well as Justin Upton and Carlos Gonzalez (among other options).
Those two aren’t the only veteran Tigers that should draw interest. Closer Joakim Soria becomes one of the more appealing rental relief arms, while Rajai Davis could be a nice piece (especially in high-leverage situations down the stretch and in the post-season) for a team that has a need in center field. Catcher Alex Avila can also be had, and Alfredo Simon may make for a useful swingman piece.
Price’s market, of course, is where most of the immediate interest will go. As Stark writes, teams like the Cubs, Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Yankees have been waiting on other pitching moves to see whether Price would be available. Now that he is, expect his market to heat up quickly.
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That’s the right decision.
If the Tigers can move Price and Cespedes for decent packages it shouldn’t be to long of a rebuild.
As long as they don’t make the same mistake the Red Sox did last year and prioritize MLB readiness over upside.
You’re talking about a top-40 prospect plus some a coupe C+ / B- guys for Price… and maybe a top-75 guy for Cepedes. It’s not going to be franchise-altering…
No…but organizational depth is helpful. They need to play for the next few years and not just ’16.
If that’s your expectations, then I won’t argue. They could probably get 4-5 usable pieces for Price/Cespedes – one might be a star.
Price to Yanks for Nova, Sanchez, and Jageilo, Cespedes to the Mets for Nimmo.
not enough for price.
Cespedes for Nimmo is an interesting option. I *really* don’t like rentals, but Nimmo is blocked next year and who knows where they will be in ’17.
Don’t be so sure of that. If you are correct, those prospects will be flipped for an impact player. I smell a three team trade with MLB players coming Detroit’s way.
Phillies better hurry…
Hurry for what? Hamels is cost controlled Price isn’t. That’s huge. Second, Price has an atrocious postseason record. I don’t know how many teams really want an incredibly expensive rental with an inflated post-season ERA.
Small sample size. Kershaw has a bad post-season ERA as well. Name one team that wouldn’t want either one because of their post-season ERA
Small sample size? Its the postseason not too many people have much larger sample sizes. Plus Kershaw’s ERA stems solely from the Cardinals. Second, I didn’t say they wouldn’t look at him. I said who would want him if Hamels is there and controlled beyond this year. Hamels goes before Price which is what my original point was.
Its not just from the Cards tho, Philles got him pretty good too in 2008 and 2009..
The Mets…maybe? I dunno, they have a pretty solid #1-#3. Still..it’s Kershaw, so they’d find space for him. Price…meh. I’d rather deGrom, Harvey, or Syn than have Price.
It’s David Price. I expect each and every one would want him.
I’d take 2 months of Price for a top-40 prospect over 4 years of Cole Hamels for 3 top-50 prospects.
I’d also take 3 years of Tyson Ross for a top-30 prospect over 4 years of Cole Hamels for 3 top-50 prospects.
Basically, there are just cheaper options out there. Throw in the upcoming FA market – and it’s why I’ve doubted all along that the Phils would be able to deal Hamels before next winter.
No team has 3 top 50 prospects and no team is offering them. At this point it appears might get 2 #50-100 prospects and a couple of other players. That’s why the Phillies have balked.
If Price brings a top 40 prospect than 2 months of Price is worth similar to 4 years of Hamels.
Pretty sure the dodgers have 3 top 50 prospects in seager urias and i forget who else. Also, jays had norris, hoffman and pompey which im pretty sure were all top 50 before hoffman got traded for tulowitzki.
Okay, the Dodgers have 3 top 50 prospects. Is he right they’re offering them for Hamels?
lots of teams want Price…and they get the 1st shot to re-sign him. thats HUGE.
Depends on the team if that last part matters. For example Pirates, Astros probably no shot at re-signing so that 5 day window means nothing to them.
His dog is named Astro…ha
Even if you’re the Cubs, Yanks, Dodgers or Red Sox – why would David Price re-sign when he’s 5 days from hitting the open market? The open market is where you get overpaid. He’s waited this long. Why would he turn down the opportunity at that point?
I see Price going to the Cubs, Dodgers, or Yanks in that order.
Likely won’t happen but it would be interesting to see Detroit send Cespedes and Price to LAD for a package headlined by Puigy himself. Dodgers get that middle of the lineup thump and third ace on the staff, while DET gets at least one cheap and semi-controllable option in Puig and maybe some High-A/AA pitching prospects with some upsight, but not a top prospect?
Might work but trading an OF for another OF just doesn’t seem in the books right now. Hey with that FO, I’m sure they thought of this.
I don’t think most teams are wild about having “Puigy” play for them.
Teams can ignore a lot when a guy is producing. Puig’s #’s are down from when he first came into the league, but he is still a legit bat @25yo (?)
If he is so legit why trade him for rentals? Why not try to swap him for Hamels?
I wouldn’t trade him for rentals, as he is worth far more than that.
Funny story – I jokingly made that suggestion yesterday. Seems insane, but who knows … no one saw the Lester/Cespedes deal coming.
norris + pompey for price + davis
I just don’t think that’s enough
As a Tigers fan
All day I’d take that
Dave Dombrowksi would personally drive David Price to Toronto if this package was offered…
Way too much! Name the last rental to be dealt for a top-20 prospect… Heck, name the last to go for a top-40 prospect. I’ll do you a favor, it was before the current CBA went into effect. Since then, guys like Greinke and Cueto have gone for significantly less than is what’s being offered here.
I get that Price is great, but the Jays would be out of their minds to trade the 18th and 30th ranked prospects for a rental.
Unless Toronto gets permission to negotiate an extension with Price before the trade is official. If they could work out an extension, I’d give up Norris and Pompey for sure.
Incredibly unlikely at this point. For starters, David Price didn’t come this close to free agency to sign an extension. Secondly, if the Jays were given a window and failed to come to a deal, the Tigers would have almost no time to turn around and make a deal.
Didn’t the Cubs get Addison Russel from the A’s for Jeff Samardzija?
There are basically zero similarities between the Samardzija trade and the Price trade…
1) Samardzija had a year and a half remaining on his deal
2) Jason Hammel and his 2.98 ERA (3.19 FIP) were in the deal, too
3) 60% of the A’s rotation was on the DL
4) None of those DL’d pitchers were coming back for a month
5) No team was willing to trade for another 4 weeks.
Basically, the A’s had two options… either run with a minor league pitching staff for an entire month – or trade a top prospect to fill two huge holes. They chose the latter.
Problem for the Jays is they are only in the race for the second wild card spot. Angels/Astros will feast on Seattle/Oakland/Texas in September so catching the Twins is their only chance. Rental makes more sense if you are pretty much in the playoffs. Pompey would be worth a shot for David Price.
Rebooting sounds better than selling I guess
About time! Dodgers front office better make a move on Price! DeLeon + Sweeney/Schebler + another two lower prospects should get it done…I hope O_o
Severino/Gardner/Mason Williams isn’t enough for both guys is it? I would be willing to add more.
No way Gardy gets traded in that deal, he is more valuable than Cespedes in the Yankees OF. Great contract and signed for 2 more years. Price and Cespedes are pure rentals at this point. I wouldn’t give up Severino in a deal for a rental player of any sorts.
While I dislike the Yankees eight ways from Sunday…they are smart enough to avoid trading Severino for a rental. Don’t get me wrong…they need at least 1 more frontline starter if they want any hope of getting out of the first round of the playoffs.
I was thinking Nova, Sanchez, and Williams.
TCubs haven’t acted yet, and I think it’s likely that they do. I’m guessing Price is squarely in their sites
Yes, Edwards, Almora, and Johnson.
It would be interesting to see if the Pirates jump in on Price. They were close last year so they obviously like him. They have a pretty deep farm system.
Good choice. Get some value out of your pending FA’s, and “reboot” for next season.
But as a Tigers fan, the first thing they should do is fire Ausmus. Even if we do get someone for the big club, he won’t know how to use him at all.
This again? Give it a few hours and it will be “Tigers not sure what they are doing yet.”
Like yesterday. LA has no desire to trade Puig. To LA looking into trading Puig.
I think you mean more like LA this winter.
-Dodgers inform Dee Gordon he will not be traded.
literally 24 hours later…
-Dodgers trade Dee Gordon to Miami
When the report came out that we informed Puig he’d be staying, I thought it was a death sentence lol
angels need David price and Yoenis Cespedes ASAP
It wouldn’t make sense to trade for Cespedes. They just acquired three outfielders in the last two days.
Unless there’s a third team involved that’s willing to take Murphy and Wilson but I don’t see that happening.
Dodgers need to make a package for both Cespy and Price in a mega deal, that includes Puig and prospects.. HOWEVER.. Seager and Urias remain untouchable!
I wouldn’t want Puig if I am the Tigers. If the Dodgers are willing to trade him in the middle of a huge playoff push that is an instant red flag to me. He is super talented so to be wanting to move a 24 year old with his skills is suspect.
Totally agree with you, a deal like that put the Tigers right back into contention next season with some pitching additions, while adding some farm league depth. The Dodgers replace Puig with Cespedes, who is having a better season, and go into the playoffs with a top three of Kershaw, Greinke, and Price. I understand that the two Tigers are rentals, but the Dodgers could be a heavy favorite to finish this season and they can afford to sign Price or Cespedes long term in the offseason. Worst case scenario for the Dodgers, both players leave, you are left with an outfield of Crawford, Pederson, and Ethier, and the team builds around a young core of Kershaw, Pederson, Seager, and Urias.
Good idea how about Puig , De Leon, and Holmes, for both.
If I’m the Dodgers I hang up pretty fast on that one. That price is insane to me. The only way I’d do it is if they’d get an extension window on Price.
@slider32.. Puig, and if it’s Deleon, then add maybe Darnell Sweeney and or Zach Lee.. I doubt LAD gives up both Deleon and Holmes to rent Price..
David Price for Ivan Nova, Gary Sanchez and Ian Clarkin, who hangs up first?
Doubt that’ll get us price.
Love to see any team in the AL Central selling! Go Royals!
Cardinals send Piscotty, Cooney, Gonzalez, and Bourjos. Tigers send back Price, Cespedes, and Davis?
Cardinals likely don’t want to give up prospects for rentals. If they would go get any one it would be Hamels , and they probably wouldn’t even want to do that. I could see Cardinals maybe signing Price or someone like him in the offseason, if Wainwright’s condition worries the Front Office, but they would rather just keep their prospects.
If I am Dave Dombrowski I hold on to Price and Cespedes as close to the deadline as passable. You the longer the Tigers wait the higher the price that it will be.
That’s what Rueben Amaro thought… doesnt always work that way.
What deal would you take- Price to Cubs for Edwards, Almora, and Steele, to Yanks for Lindgren, Sanchez, and Jagielo, or to the Dodgers for De Leon, Barnes, and Wieland.
As much as I would love for the Tigers to get any of those hauls, realistically, those deals are not going to happen for a rental player, be it Price or anyone else. I have to think that Price ends up with either the Cubs or Dodgers, but it won’t be for three names unless another team gets involved. With the Tigers waiting so late to “come out as sellers” though, a three team trade may very well happen. Cespedes and Soria to the Mets, with Price being sent to either Chicago or LA sounds mighty tasty.
A Tiger will get moved before tomorrow,
Cards have no need for cespedes, and little need for price really, but if they decided they wanted to target price long term a trade of Gonzalez and tulliavallalla for price is pretty fair.
Price would be a good fit in St Louis but wed still lose a lot of games 1-0 until we fix the offense
Tigers will be looking primarily for starting pitchers. No Puig needed.
..thus the need for a 3rd team.
Look for the tigers to go for major league ready (or already in the bigs) pitching. I’d be shocked if the key component of any trade is in anything lower than double A.
They are only 3.5 games back from a Wild Card spot. If they got a Major League starter with team control,(someone like Kendrick from the Cubs) for Price. Then a 3-way deal using Cespedes (and others if necessary) to get another starter. Detroit would have two new starters under team control and if they got hot, could still make the playoffs. Use Davis and Avila for bullpen help.
Stranger thing have happened.
If not, they could also deal quickly to flip some of their prospect bounty for the same things.
Agreed. They don’t need prospects. 20 of the 25 man roster is set for the next three years. They are not rebuilding. They need a #1 for Price, a #4 for Simon, a left fielder for Cespedes, a closer for Nathan and a set up man for Soria. Those spots won’t be filled with prospects. The rest is set.
This should be interesting. Everyone says “this guy is too much or these guys are too much or “no one trades a # “fill in the blank” for a rental”.
Another thing to consider if you are a Jays/Yankees, Dodger/Giant or any contending team fan is this: if you don’t offer the best package how excited are you to face Price the next two months? Could those games prevent you from making the playoffs?
Remember you are not getting Price for just two months but getting Price for maybe 6 playoff/World Series games.